ILOILO CITY—Thirty congressmen, mostly from the Visayas, have voiced support for the construction of the controversial Iloilo Convention Center (ICC), slamming criticisms as “politically motivated.”
In a manifesto, the legislators also raised concerns that graft allegations against the project could “possibly compromise” the construction of the ICC, which they described as “one of the few major national government projects in the Visayas.”
They said they also supported Iloilo City as one of the venues of next year’s ministerial meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.
The P747-million ICC, a pet project of Senate President Franklin Drilon, is being rushed as a venue for Iloilo meetings.
Located in a 1.7-hectare lot, the convention center is designed to be a state-of-the-art facility.
Those who signed the manifesto included 26 congressional district and party-list representatives from the Visayas.
‘Visayan bloc’
They were Jerry Treñas (Iloilo City), Alfredo Benitez (Negros Occidental), George Arnaiz (Negros Oriental), Leo Rafael Cueva (Negros Occidental), Antonio Del Rosario (Capiz), Ben Evardone (Eastern Samar), Oscar Garin Jr. (Iloilo), Arcadio Gorriceta (Iloilo), Mercedes Alvarez (Negros Occidental), Wilfredo Caminero (Cebu), Fredenil Castro (Capiz), Arthur Defensor Jr. (Iloilo), Joseph “Ace” Durano (Cebu);
Sharon Garin (Aambis-OWA), Teodorico Haresco Jr. (Aklan), Paolo Everardo Javier (Antique), Alejandro Mirasol (Negros Occidental), Pablo Roces Nava III (Append), Marie Anne Pernes (Siquijor), Rene Relampagos (Bohol), Benhur Salimbangon (Cebu), JC Rahman Nava (Guimaras), Joseph Stephen Paduano (Abang Lingkod), Gabriel Luis Quisumbing (Cebu), Mel Senen Sarmiento (Western Samar) and Pryde Henry Teves (Negros Oriental).
The legislators have identified themselves as the “Visayan bloc” in the House of Representatives and have been expressing unified stands on issues.
Some non-Visayas legislators have joined the bloc. They are Pedro Acharon
Jr. (South Cotabato), Sonny Collantes (Batangas), Cesar Sarmiento (Catanduanes) and Regina Ongsiako Reyes (Marinduque).